Exciting new recipes as well as classics and tried-and-true favourites readers return to year after year. These are my 10 best Easter recipes, as chosen by you! How many of these have you already tried? What are your signature Easter recipes? Share your suggestions below to inspire others!
Discover more in my Easter super collection – it’s even organised by course.
Sometimes, an abundance of choice is a blessing and at other times it is a curse. So, I thought, wouldn’t it be helpful to tell you what I think are the best Easter recipes, to help you choose your Easter menu??
Turns out, it’s an impossible task. Because I am a disloyal foodie who likes to stray and experiment, so I don’t have personal Easter favourites. (Example – I made baklava for Easter dessert last year. Who does that??? 😂)
But I can tell you the top 10 Easter recipes readers return to year after year, and the new recipes that have rapidly become fan-favourites. Much more reliable than asking for my opinion!
So here they are. Which of these make your cut??
Top 10 best Easter recipes – as chosen by you
1. Hot Cross Buns
What readers say: It’s fluffy, well spiced, works as promised, and really not that hard at all, I promise! Store-bought can’t rival the experience of fresh, homemade buns. I really hope you try them.
2. Roast lamb leg – classic
There’s something about the grandness of a whole leg of lamb taking centre stage!! The only thing you need to know about roasting the perfect lamb leg? Get a meat thermometer. (OK fine, I have a few more little tricks too – find them in the recipe).
Alternatives – Rack of lamb (classic or crumbed), Greek butterflied lamb leg, Moroccan lamb backstrap. Also see below for slow cooked lamb, the fall-apart rather than carving sort.
3. Slow roasted Greek lamb leg
For those of you after the fall-off-the-bone sort of roast lamb, the slow roasted Greek lamb leg has been a much loved favourite for years, along with the classic garlic rosemary version and the slow cooker roast lamb leg (such a fuss-free easy way to cook lamb leg!).
My choice
Lamb shoulder rather than lamb leg. Juicier, more flavour, and you can make it in advance because it reheats 99% perfect like freshly made. Can’t do that with lamb leg! Choose from the deluxe 12 hour overnight version (Greek flavour) or its little sister, the 3 hour lamb shoulder (classic rosemary garlic) or for an exotic spiced version, Lamb Shawarma!
4. Maple glazed ham
My signature glazed ham! For those of you in Australia surprised to see this on the list, glazed ham is a traditional Easter centrepiece in the States.
While I am very fond of classic brown sugar glazed ham, the maple glazed ham has that extra something-something that makes it special (that special something being, wait for it… maple syrup! 😂).
Save the bone for pea and ham soup or ham bone congee. The more ham scraps on it, the better!
5. Roast pumpkin spinach and feta salad
Tossed with a balsamic dressing, it’s just a combination that works so well! This has been a long standing favourite with readers for years. Actually, it is a top 5 recipe during the Christmas holidays too!
For (many) more side salads, head straight to my super collection for vegetable and side salads, or this special collection of side salads I put together especially for Easter menus. Also, don’t miss my special show-off salads, a collection of salads created for those who want to steal the show…….with a SIDE SALAD! 😱
6. Make-ahead mashed potato casserole
Making mash at the last minute is a pain. So it’s no surprise readers jumped on this make-ahead mashed potato casserole recipe that I published just a few months ago during the holiday season!
Make it today, then pop it in the oven tomorrow. Creamy and smooth, just like your favourite mashed potato, with the bonus of a cheesy, bacony topping. YES.
Plenty more potato goodness contained in my potato super collection! Few reader-favourites:
7. Christmas baked salmon – at Easter!
Not sure I’ll ever be able to top this, an invention from a couple of years ago that has become a much-loved reader favourite!
Honey butter glazed salmon topped with a creamy dill sauce and a nut dried fruit rubble. People love it because it’s knock-your-socks-off delicious, easy to make, mostly make ahead and looks SO GOOD.
Also see my Easter fish & seafood mains recipe collection here. Few reader-favourites:
8. Potato dauphinoise (potatoes au gratin)
Potato layered with cream, cheese, a sprinkling of thyme (secret!), then baked until bubbly and golden. Just pure heaven, and one of my all time most popular potato sides. (Understandably!)
See above under #6 for more potato sides.
9. Baked Mac and Cheese
This is a signature dish of mine, a recipe that bistros have actually asked me permission to use to serve to their patrons!! Creamy and cheesy, but not overly greasy, baked until bubbly with a crunchy panko breadcrumb topping.
For everyday purposes I’ll use whatever cheese I’ve got on hand. For special occasions, I splurge on gruyere which catapults it into fine-dining stratosphere. Try it!
Similar dishes chasing baked Mac and cheese:
10. Soft No-Knead Dinner Rolls
Simple, warm, fluffy dinner rolls made without kneading. Will this ever fall out of the top 10 for holiday occasions?? No!!
Notable mention: Crusty artisan bread, the most-made bread recipe on this website, year round.
11. Crunchy roast potatoes
I know I said top 10, but I can’t leave out roast potatoes – these came in at #11!!!
When it comes to roast potatoes, crunchy they must be. For ultimate wow factor, look no further than the duck fat fat potatoes. Crunchiest result and best flavour. Because duck fat has flavour – not ducky, it’s just good savoury flavour – as opposed to oil which is largely flavourless.
But if you can’t get duck fat, here’s the recipe to make really crunchy roast potatoes using oil. Also see my potato super collection!
And there you have it. The top 10 (11) Easter recipes that readers are returning to year after year, as well as some new recipes that catapulted to the top of the list during the Christmas/Thanksgiving season last year that are Easter-worthy.
I will mention, however, that I have a couple of exciting new special Easter recipes I will be sharing next week along with a little surprise! So stay tuned……
What about you? What are you thinking of doing for Easter this year? Share your ideas so others can get inspiration! – Nagi x
What to make this Easter
See all my Easter recipes in my Easter super collection – I’ve even organised it by course!
Life of Dozer
He looks worried. He should be. 😂
Hi Nagi, a tad late & the Easter buns are long gone, just wanted to say they worked very well, enjoyed by all & sundry. Absolutely agree there is no comparison with supermarket ones, the small artisan bakeries charge $25 for 6 here in NZ. So many thanks.
My cookbook just arrived here in Canada. Loved the white fish in lemon sauce..
I love that too!!! Such a great quick ‘n easy fish recipe for midweek, right?? 🙂 N xx
A bit slow but purchased cookbook yesterday – hadnt rushed as I use your blog every week – Beautiful book and love the pictures
Already sold another 3 books from showing daughter and friends – you should be so proud – keep up the blog though – really enjoy receiving it and keeping up to date with Dozer – my dog Jack enjoys the catch up too 🥰
Love most of your recipes!
Disagree with your method of carving your leg of lamb.
Cut should be at 90 degrees to the bone.
This gives each diner some of each muscle. Also cuts across the grain so you don’t serve stringy meat. Regards,
Happy Easter to you and dozer..
I’m working my way through your amazing cookbook. Soooo many favourites – so far ‘Chicken satay noodle salad’ with that amazing satay sauce! Looking forward to Chicken Shawarma next.
Heh Nagi I am so excited to see how brilliantly your cookbook has been doing. I have been following you for a couple of years so I should say I’m excited but not surprised. You guys are amazing. I ended up buying three books. A couple as Christmas gifts and then one for myself. I am vegetarian probably more leaning towards vegan. I have used so many of your recipes and just converted them. They always turn out fantastic because your recipes are so well thought out. You create a flavours from ingredients which makes it so simple to convert but retain the wonderful taste and they work out beautifully.
OK and truth be known I came across your site a while back by accident. I was looking for a recipe and got distracted by this particularly striking fellow with lovely flowing blonde hair and big cheeky smile. After looking at Dozer pictures for a while I realised you had some awesome recipes!!!
I love your new cookbook – the photos, Dozer, your story, and especially the recipes. I made the Christmas Baked Salmon for Christmas and it was beautiful as well as delicious. Tonight we had Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken. It was wonderful. My husband, who seldom eats chicken, had seconds and said if he liked chicken, he would like this.
For Easter will be preparing roast chicken, mixed rice (brown, basmati w wild rice) roasted root veggies , charred green beans
And, really excited to bake your hot cross buns.
Have a happy, healthy Easter Nagi and Dozer🐾, mom and all your crew. Remember have a swim in ocean for me Dozer 🥽
So happy to finally have DINNER cookbook📗
Tonight I’m making your curried sausages 😋 with Japanese rice.
Hi Nagi, received your cookbook the other day!! Love it, thankyou for such awesome recipes…
It is here on the shelves in Cranbrook BC too!!
Happy Easter to you and Dozer💐
Got your cookbook. It’s perfect. Have recipes picked out for dinner for my crew Sunday and next week too. Love the variety and how you explain everything!
Received your cookbook! What a treat! Merci…
Happy Holiday Dozer & Nagi 🌾Thank you for your Love and giving spirit🌾🌾I enjoy your Great Recipes🌾🌾
Love love love your cookbook it arrived this week from Amazon and not only are the recipes yummy, the photos are beautiful
I absolutely love your recipes. Having then with verbal and visual instructions in details helps me. I have told all of my family that cook about your books. Please keep doing what you’re doing. And Dozer is so stinking handsome in the photos!
Hi Nagi,
I will be making roast lamb, lasagna, potato gratin, peas and pastizzi. Then figolli and cannoli for dessert. Your book is great. I have made chicken Tuscan bake. I will be making your egg sandwiches for my sisters birthday
Hi Nagi,
Earlier tonight I entered your Caption Dozer competition on Instagram. On my Facebook page it said I have won. Started to follow the instructions, wanted my credit card…and double checked, you were not choosing winner until Monday 3 rd April. Maybe you have a way of letting everyone know so they don’t get scammed. Many thanks for your delightful recipes and Dozer fun! Deb Staun
The Instagram post said when and how she will announce the winner 🙂
Yes, however obviously her Facebook page was hacked….
Thanks Nagi for making me enjoy cooking, nothing too difficult and a winner every time.
My “ Dinner” book arrived yesterday.
Beautiful book !
I love it. Can’t wait for book #2
Thanks
Greek lamb is my family easter Sunday lunch favourite, and a great crowd pleaser, this year will try the mashed potato dish as well! Happy Easter Nagi & Dozer.